Time-Off Benefits & Leave Plans (Chapter 5)

Sick Leave for Non-Exempt/Admin. Support Staff (Section 506)

The college grants paid sick leave to eligible staff who are unable to work due to personal
illness or injury that is not work related.

Eligibility

If you are employed in a regular or limited-term position of half time or more, you are
eligible for paid sick leave. If you work a regular part-time schedule of half time or more,
you are eligible for prorated sick leave based on the number of hours you are regularly
scheduled to work.

If you work less than half time or hold a temporary position, you are not eligible for paid
sick leave. You may, however, qualify for unpaid leave during the period of disability. See
the sections Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Short-Term Absence Without Pay for
more information.

Sick Leave Availability

You accrue sick leave at the rate of one day per month of eligible service. If you work a 9-,
10-, or 11-month schedule, your sick leave entitlement is prorated based on the amount
granted to 12-month employees (i.e., one day per month of eligible service). You begin to
earn sick leave starting with your date of hire and earn prorated hours each month. Your sick
leave accrual (in hours) appears on your pay stub.

The college encourages you to accumulate sick leave in order to protect yourself in the case
of a lengthy illness or disability. Earned but unused sick leave may be carried forward and
accumulated from year to year.

Six months is the waiting period for long-term disability (LTD) income benefits. If your
accrued sick leave exceeds six months, and if you qualify for LTD benefits, the remainder of
your sick leave, if any, is reserved and you begin receiving LTD benefits after completion of
the waiting period.

Terms and Conditions of Sick Leave Use

Paid sick leave is based on your regular rate of pay. The length of paid sick leave to which
you are entitled for a certified illness or injury will depend upon the number of days of sick
leave you have available. Please note the following:

Sick leave covers an absence due to non-job-related accidents or medical conditions
(workers' compensation benefits apply in the case of a job-related accident or illness).

A staff member is entitled to charge up to four days of absence in any fiscal year (July
1–June 30) to her/his accrued sick bank when the illness of someone in the staff
member's immediate family or household, who is regularly dependent on her/his care,
requires the staff member's absence from work. A medical statement may be required
for approval.

If possible, you should schedule medical or dental appointments outside of regular work
hours. If this is impractical, check with your supervisor in advance about adjusting your
work schedule. Sick leave may be used for doctor, dentist, and other medical
appointments which cannot be scheduled outside of work hours.

Paid sick leave is provided to protect you financially in the event of an illness or
disability. No payment is made for unused sick leave if you leave the college.

If your paid sick leave is exhausted, available personal time or vacation time will be
used to extend the term of paid leave.

When all paid leave is exhausted, you may be eligible for an unpaid leave under one of the
college's leave plans. See the sections Family Leave, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA),
Short-term Absence Without Pay, and Leave Without Pay for additional information.

Effect of Sick Leave on Other Paid Time and Benefits

While on paid sick leave, you continue to earn personal time. Vacation normally accrues
during paid sick leave; however, vacation does not accrue during any combination of paid or
unpaid leave which exceeds 12 consecutive work weeks. All benefits remain in effect. You
may be eligible, upon certification, for paid holidays, bereavement leave, and supplemental
jury duty pay while you are on paid sick leave of up to 10 work days. Recess time cannot be
rescheduled to extend paid sick leave. You earn sick leave during all absences except the
following:

FMLA Leave;

Leave Without Pay;

Long-Term Disability Leave.

Medical Certification

If you are absent for more than five consecutive days due to illness, accident, or surgery, or
at other times at the discretion of the college, the college may require you to submit a
doctor's statement or other medical evidence indicating your degree of fitness and your
ability to resume the duties of your job.

Your supervisor may require medical certification for an illness of any length when, in his or
her judgment, there is a question of (1) illness or injury affecting your ability to perform
safely on the job; (2) possible contagion; (3) possible work-relatedness of the disability; or
(4) possible abuse of sick leave benefits.

Unauthorized or excessive absences will be cause for disciplinary action, up to and
including termination of employment.

Notification

If you are ill or injured and are unable to report to work, you are responsible for notifying
your supervisor or department head as soon as possible.

In the case of routine minor illnesses (cold, flu, etc.), you are expected to call and inform
your supervisor each day that you will not be reporting. Such notice will assist your
supervisor in scheduling or reassigning work.

If your medical leave will be lengthy, you should contact your supervisor or department
head on a regular basis to report on your progress and the estimated or actual date of your
return to work.

Replacement of Staff on Medical Leave or Disability

Under normal circumstances, the college will hold a position open for a regular full- or parttime
employee with a serious illness or disability during the first 12 months of an authorized
paid or unpaid leave. During such an authorized leave the employee's position will normally
be filled on a temporary basis only. Following 12 months of absence, the staff member's
employment will be terminated.

The college reserves the right to fill a position on a regular basis prior to 12 months in
situations such as the following: 1) in the case of senior administrators who occupy strategic
positions; 2) when the college's or the department's needs require this action; or 3) where it
appears highly unlikely that the employee will be able to return to work. The decision to fill
a position prior to 12 months must be approved by the Associate Vice President for Human
Resources.

Medical Leave Application Process

As soon as it is apparent that you will be out of work for 10 or more consecutive work
days with any medical disability, you should obtain the following three forms:

Employee Application for Medical Leave

Attending Physician's Statement

Physician's Approval to Return to Work

You should promptly complete the Employee Application for Medical Leave form and
submit it to the Office of Human Resources and give the Attending Physician's Statement to
your doctor requesting that s/he return the completed form as soon as possible to the Office
of Human Resources.

In most cases the Attending Physician's Statement will provide the college with the medical
information necessary to administer this plan. However, in those situations where the
college believes that more complete medical information is necessary, the college reserves
the right to have you sign a Medical Release Form allowing the Office of Human Resources
and/or the Office of Health Services or another college-designated physician to contact your
physician directly to discuss your medical condition. Upon review of your application and
your physician's statement, the Office of Human Resources will confirm, in writing, to you
and your department head the terms of your medical leave and the expected date (if known)
of your return to work.

Return to Work Certification

When you have been examined by your personal doctor and have been cleared to return to
work, you should ask your doctor to complete the Physician's Approval to Return to Work
form and provide it the Office of Human Resources. The college may require you to be
examined by a college-designated physician before returning to work to ensure your ability
to resume the duties of your job.

Long-Term Disability

In the event of serious or permanent disability (either full or partial) which will prevent you
from returning to work for an extended period of time, you should contact the Office of
Human Resources regarding your potential eligibility for long-term disability (LTD)
benefits. The Office of Human Resources will review your situation with you and will assist
you in completing the LTD application.